Interaction of High Temperature Superconductors with Conductive Oxides

Abstract

Transparent conductive oxides, SnO2 and TiO2, were tested as contacts to YBa2Cu3O7 and BiSrCaCu2O4. After sintering the superconducting material, tin diffused into the bismuth material preferentially replacing bismuth and calcium. Tin diffused into the 1-2-3 material but did not show preferential replacement. Titanium diffused into the 1-2-3 compound preferentially replacing copper. Contact resistance could not be measured as the films were not superconducting after sintering. Titanium dioxide did act as a partial diffusion barrier on top of the bismuth compound when the film was not sintered. The results imply that surface chemistry dominates the performance of transparent oxide contacts and diffusion barrier layers for the different perovskite superconductors.